For nearly 30 years, Resident Evil has remained the premier survival horror franchise due in no small part to its incredible rogues' gallery. Aside from the trademark zombies that have defined much of Resident Evil's beginnings, each title features an impressive cast of grotesque bioweapons that have been engineered by the Umbrella Corporation, with many of them earning recurring spots in multiple series titles. Given the franchise's recent track record and Capcom's release strategy, it seems likely that the next title in the series will be Resident Evil 9, and there's an opportunity for the next main sequel in the franchise to include some monsters that have been absent from Resident Evil for years.
The very first Resident Evil primarily had players facing off against a variety of "zombies" that were actually Umbrella researchers unfortunately infected with the T-Virus. Outside the undead denizens of the Spencer Mansion, players also had to contend with zombified dogs (Cerberus) and sharks (Neptune). While the Cerberus, designed as undead and gore-ridden Doberman Pinschers, have made recurring appearances in several Resident Evil titles, there are even more frightful monsters from the original Resident Evil that have yet to appear in more than one or two series entries, making them perfect candidates for a glow-up courtesy of Resident Evil 9.
The Hunter Should Make a Return in the Next Resident Evil
It's surprising that the Hunter enemy type has only made a mainline series appearance as recently as Resident Evil 3 (including 2020's remake), although the iconic monster does rear its ugly head in Resident Evil Revelations. A horrific blending of human and amphibian DNA, the Hunter is one of the most fearsome and deadly foes in both Resident Evil and Resident Evil 3, routinely showing up at the most inopportune times to completely disrupt players' temporary senses of safety.
Playing in Nightmare or Inferno mode in Resident Evil 3's remake showcases how deadly the Hunter truly is, with most encounters ending in one-hit kills. With Resident Evil 9 likely continuing the trend of new numbered sequels being first-person, the thought of confronting a Hunter becomes even more terrifying.
The Resident Evil series has been further leaning into its horror roots as of late, in both the remakes and the main series sequels. If Capcom intends for Resident Evil 9 to be a watershed moment for the series and mark a full-circle moment for the overarching narrative and characters, the appearance of the Hunter would be a welcome (albeit terrifying) callback to the series' origins.
Chimera Haven't Been Seen Since the First Resident Evil
While the Hunter enemy type has had its fair share of time in the spotlight past the first Resident Evil, there's one enemy that has been absent from the series outside the series' beginnings despite being one of the most harrowing and intense encounters in the late game. This enemy type is, of course, the Chimera—the human and fly DNA hybrid that is somehow just as disturbing and unsettling as David Cronenberg's Seth Brundle/Brundlefly from his timeless and gut-wrenching remake of The Fly.
That the Chimera hasn't made a main series appearance since the first game seems like fertile ground for a reappearance in the next Resident Evil. The Chimera tend to walk on ceilings and then drop to surprise the player, making them an ideal enemy type to add tension and horror to the first-person gameplay that will likely be utilized by the next Resident Evil.
Other than the telltale hissing and clicking sounds that the Chimera makes, they are darker, easily hidden within shadows, and harder to see sneaking up on the player. It's honestly difficult to think of a better classic enemy from the series that could instill true terror in players. Many fans believe that Resident Evil 9 might see longtime series hero Chris Redfield return as the protagonist, and what better way to send off the former STARS member than to have him face off against some of his earliest nemeses.
Resident Evil 9 is rumored to be in development.